Tumemaliza Kitabu Cha Kwanza!

As the title, suggests, we have finished the first book for our Swahili lessons already. There are two books, each with thirty lessons in them. It is exciting, in a geeky way. Since we are already half done with our lessons and we still have a little under two months left here, we decided to spend more time of our lessons each day just talking in Swahili with each other and our teacher. Today’s topic was largely political. We started the conversation by asking Moreto about what he will do after working at the Language School. He told us that he will go to university to study Community Organizing/Social Development and Politics (needless to say, I perked up… the conversation had just become one that was perfectly suited to my interests). He wants to eventually study law. We spent quite some time talking about politics here in Tanzania. Moreto explained the major political parties and explained to us why he likes CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi – Party of the Revolution). Towards the end the conversation turned to problems facing Tanzania and he said that the biggest problem is corruption.
With all that said, here is a little insight into the political system and its history in Tanzania:
Shortly after Tanzania gained it’s independence from the UN mandated trusteeship to Britain, the new president, Nyerere, combined TANU (the ruling party on the mainland) with Zanzibar’s ruling party, ASP (Afro-Shirazi Party) – the result was called CCM. From that point, CCM was the sole political party in Tanzania as ratified in the country’s constitution. After his termed concluded in 1985, Nyerere remained the chairman for CCM for the next 5 years.
Though Zanzibar and Tanzania are legally united, Zanzibar remains fairly autonomous – especially on matters that only affect the island.
Tanzania is divided into 26 administrative regions (21 on the mainland, 3 on Zanzibar, and 2 on Pemba).
The president and National Assembly members are elected to five year terms, renewable once. Tanzania’s current President is Jakaya Kikwete and Zanzibar’s President, Amani Abeid Karume (who is actually the son of Zanzibar’s first president) were both elected in 2005. The President appoints a prime minister and his cabinet members from the National Assembly Members.
The National Assembly is comprised of at most 325 members – 5 from Zanzibar’s House of Representatives, and Attorney General, the Speaker, 75 women’s seats, 233 constituent seats and up to 10 members nominated by the president. Currently, CCM (the ruling party) has about 82% of the seats in the Assembly.
In 1992, the country underwent changes that would allow for a multiparty system. The 1995 elections became the country’s first multiparty elections. However, CCM has remained in power.
In 2001 CCM and CUF (Civic United Front) signed a reconciliation agreement to begin electoral reforms and look into deaths that had occurred on Pemba earlier in the year. In October 2005, an opposition vice presidential candidate died and the mainland’s elections were postponed. That year, Zanzibar’s elections were viewed as irregular and possibly fraudulent – elections on the mainland, however, were deemed fair and Kikwete won with over 80% of the vote.
Early this year (February) Kikwete dissolved his cabinet after two ministers and the then-Prime Minister resigned following allegations of corruption.
The main political parties here are CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi), CUF (the Civic United Front), and CHADEMA (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) – among over 14 others.
Peace.